The permanent working group for the safety of journalists, in which representatives of journalistic and media associations cooperate with representatives of the prosecutor’s office and the police in order to improve the level of safety of journalists, appealed to the organizers and participants of public gatherings to enable journalists and media workers to work smoothly and safely.
The announcement states that journalists and media workers who report from public gatherings have the obligation to, as when performing all other journalistic tasks, respect professional standards and the Serbian Journalists’ Code of Ethics.
Uniformed policemen and those who take care of the safety of the participants of the gathering without visible markings, in civilian clothing, are responsible for enabling journalists and media workers to work safely, provide the necessary information and cooperate so that the movement of journalists and their teams is unhindered.
Journalists and media workers are obliged to respect the police instructions that are issued in the event of extraordinary events, according to the statement forwarded by the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (JAS).
If a journalist or media worker is attacked for performing their work, the Permanent Working Group reminds that the prosecution initiates an emergency procedure with a deadline of 48 hours, in order to identify and bring the suspect to court.
Journalists and media workers whose safety is threatened by threats while performing their work enjoy the same level of protection as the highest state officials – judges, prosecutors, police officers.
The Criminal Code provides for a prison sentence of six months to five years for this crime.
If a situation occurs in which the safety of a journalist or media worker, while fulfilling professional tasks, was threatened, it is necessary to report it to the police and/or journalist associations in order to act in accordance with the mechanism for reporting and prosecuting perpetrators established within the Permanent Working Group.
Journalists and media professionals working in accordance with the Serbian Journalists’ Code of Ethics enjoy the protection of professional associations.
The permanent working group for the safety of journalists was formed after the Agreement on cooperation and measures to raise the level of safety of journalists was signed in 2016.
The group consists of representatives of the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, UNS, the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia, the Independent Association of Journalists of Vojvodina, the Association of Independent Electronic Media, the Association of Media and the Association of Online Media, while the OSCE Mission has observer status.
The group is composed of representatives of the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Journalists’ Association of Serbia (JAS), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS), the Independent Association of Journalists of Vojvodina (NDNV), the Association of Independent Electronic Media, the Association of Media and the Association of Online Media, while the OSCE Mission has observer status.